


mosey-ing up to victory

by fixandforget



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Drabble, Hope, Non Canon Compliant-ish, References to Crisis Core
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-07
Updated: 2017-07-07
Packaged: 2018-11-29 03:13:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11431968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fixandforget/pseuds/fixandforget
Summary: In which Cloud Strife refuses to allow his past to define his future.





	mosey-ing up to victory

_ Cloud Strife was always late. _

His friend went out to face countless infantrymen while he was just sitting, leaning on a large rock. A puppet with its strings cut, he watched helplessly as his best friend charged out to face Death with nothing but a rusty blade and a winning grin. All he did was lay there. How he wished he could have just picked himself up and helped him. Fight alongside with him like how a true friend would.

_ He was too late _ .

He didn’t have a chance to react when the sword went through  _ her _ . Gaia! He had made a promise. He promised to be  _ her _ bodyguard, to protect  _ her _ . And yet, all he did was watch, lifelessly, as  _ she _ fell to the ground. To think he, as a puppet, was this close to almost killing  _ her _ himself.

_ He was too late. _

When he found her lying on the ground in the flowers in  _ her  _ church, he thought he had finally failed the last person in the world he cared for the most. His knees hit the ground, and she was in his arms, but she wasn’t waking up, and no no  _ no Tifa wake up Tifa please Tifa Tifa Tifa _ . The growing storm of panic and desperation was reflected in his voice with each second her eyes remained closed.

After what seemed like an eternity, he felt movement. Her eyes fluttered open.  

“ _ You’re late.” _

And now, there they were, both standing there, weapons ready. Facing  _ him _ . The battle was ending, but they were losing. Within seconds, he was thrown onto the floor again, overwhelmed by the force of  _ him _ and the Masamune. His eyes widened as he watched her face  _ him _ alone. Then she was down.  _ His _ sword--the seven-foot long nightmare that still haunted him in his memories, his dreams--glinted in the sun, raised high to deliver judgement.

 

**_NO._ **

And something in his mind snapped. He was up, his fusion swords in hands. He parried. He fought.  _ He _ growled, and he knew the battle was far from over. But she smiled at him, rising onto her feet to stand by his side. 

He smiled back, and--

_Cloud Strife was on time_.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey. This is my first post here. Chances are you don't care about that so I put this note at the end for anyone who was interested enough to read the whole story. 
> 
> I guess I'm supposed to encourage you to leave kudos and review, now? Thanks if you do. Smiley-face.


End file.
